1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blending methods and systems for powdery or granular material and particularly to a universal blending method and system for such material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art blending systems and methods known to applicant are not truly universal in that they do not readily accommodate different size particles and different composition materials in an efficient manner and, thus, require inefficient multiple recyclings of the materials being blended to achieve a proper blending mixture. This is inefficient both in terms of cost and in terms of time and, moreover, is an inefficient use of energy whose loss may be considerable depending on the size of the silo involved and the quantity of material to be mixed. As will be explained hereinafter, the universal blending silo of the present invention overcomes these disadvantages and is capable of handling a large variety of materials ranging from free flowing to very cohesive; is capable of blending layered as well as column segregated materials; does not impose any meaningful limitations on the height or diameter of the silo to be employed; enables the silo to be adjusted to meet a large range of blending requirements; enables adjustment of the vertical velocity profile over the cross-section of the silo which enhances the blending; and substantially reduces the number of recycle blending runs which, in some instances, can be reduced to less than one.